People are exposed to a variety of sounds depending on the environment the people are located in. Some environments, such as concerts and working environments, may expose people to unsafe levels of noise. That is, the auditory system of a person may be temporarily or permanently damaged by loud and/or prolonged noises. For example, a worker operating heavy machinery may be exposed to unsafe noise levels for extended periods of time that may cause the worker to lose hearing over time. Although the worker may recognize the noise in the working environment is loud and/or unpleasant, the worker may be unaware of the impact that the noise has on the worker's health. As a result, the worker and/or an employer of the worker may not take steps to reduce the negative effects of the noise, such as reducing noise levels in the environment, removing the worker from the environment periodically, and/or providing equipment to the worker (e.g., ear protection) to limit the impact that the noise has on the worker's auditory system.
In addition to workers that work around loud, heavy machinery, some people may not be exposed to loud noises on a daily basis but rather may be exposed to loud noises on a more periodic basis. For example, an office worker may work in a relatively quiet environment, but may enjoy attending loud music concerts in their free time. While attending these loud music concerts, this office worker may be periodically exposed to loud noises that may cause damage to their auditory systems. These types of people may not even be aware of the damage they are experiencing with respect to their auditory systems by attending such events without hearing protection.